Mariusz Jop before #ODRWIS: The next match is always the most important

On Sunday afternoon, the R22 team will begin their campaign in the 28th round of the Betclic 1 League. This round, Wisła will travel to Opole, where they will play local side Odra. The press conference is behind us, and here's the transcript.

We started the press conference with a question about Mariusz Kutwa's health - what's next with his injury and why is it taking so long to get back into shape, even though it looked like we'd see him on the pitch sooner? "That's how it looked at first. However, during rehabilitation and subsequent tests, it turned out that we still had to wait a little longer. We also don't want to push Mariusz, because with muscle injuries you have to be careful, so we'd rather wait a little longer than risk a more serious event." - he began.

Continuing on the subject of injuries – what about Joseph Colley? We haven't seen him in the squad in recent reserve team matches. Does that mean he'll be traveling with you to Opole? "No, Joseph will be out of the squad. For now, he needs to gain experience and match rhythm with the second team. Since Saturday's reserve match was played on artificial turf, and we know the extent of his injury, we decided it would be better to forgo that match. When the second team plays on grass, he'll probably play." - he replied.

Wisła Kraków's second-team squad has yet another league match. Unfortunately, three players have left the field prematurely with injuries. Among them was Bartosz Talar, a first-team player. Have you considered following the same path as Colley and sparing Bartosz in matches on artificial turf? "Bartek was already playing on artificial turf. Besides, he was eager to get back into his match rhythm. I'm very sorry that this happened. Baniowski and Bartoń were also injured, so in that respect it was a very disappointing day. I'm sorry that these players were injured. I hope the diagnoses don't indicate that these injuries are as serious as they currently appear and that they'll be back with us as soon as possible." - he said.

Once again, Wisła will play two matches in one week. Can we expect another rotation in the squad? And, of course, will we see Angel Rodado in the starting eleven? "Angel is, of course, traveling with us. We are closely monitoring the players. We are checking their fatigue levels. We have the tools to do that. We are waiting until the end to make a decision. I wouldn't like to say whether there will be any changes or how many. The players who are optimally prepared will definitely be on the pitch," he said.

What kind of team is Odra Opole for you? "This is a team that definitely ranks high in terms of aerial duels. This is a team that plays very often and very directly. This is a team that can defend low and flat, even sometimes with six players in the line. This is definitely different from the team coached by Coach Sobolewski. The home team will definitely put up a very strong resistance. They're playing at home. Probably with a lot of support from their fans. And it will definitely be a difficult match for us. However, the most important thing is always what we do and how we do it. We're focusing mainly on ourselves and the solutions we've been practicing for a long time. Of course, we're going there to win." - he replied.

You won your third match in a row, does that add to the pressure? "That's probably why we're hearing such statements, because we want to focus on what's ahead and not look too far ahead to count points or consider different scenarios. Of course, we're keeping an eye on the table, that's natural. However, the most important thing is what's happening here and now, in every training session and in every upcoming match, because if we think about what will happen in a month, we won't be able to fully focus on what's most important. And the most important thing is always the next match." - he analyzed.

Have you paid particular attention to the fact that Odra has tall players in defense? "In such a short micro-cycle, with such a short interval between matches, there isn't much time to work on certain elements on the pitch. There were only two recovery days. Today was just a pre-match warm-up and set pieces. That's the standard we apply. Of course, the players received a lot of information about the opponent. What to pay attention to, what we will be looking for in offensive actions. We have this knowledge, although of course we will have to implement it on the pitch, because that's where the answer to the question of whether we are well prepared or not is always." - concluded Mariusz Jop.